ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 148, 18 March 1919, Page 7

ARBITRATION COURT

' APPLICATIONS FOR AMENDMENT OF AWARDS COST-OF-LIVING QUESTION. A sitting of tho Arbitration Court was held yesterday. His Honour Mr, Justice Stringer presided, and associated with him on the bench were Mr. W. Scott (assessor for the employers), . and Mr. J. A. M'Cullough (assessor for the employees)!- ' . Several applications for the amendment of 'awards under the War Legislation and Statute Law Amendment Act, 1918, wero dealt with. Tho employees' demands have already boon published. Mr. JJI. J. Rcardon represented tho union and Mr. W. A. Grenfell ..the employers. • ■ '!'■'' THE FURNITURE TRADE. ■The first caso mentioned was that of tho Wellington united furniture trade workers. - Mr'.'Grenfell said that the AV'ellingtou employers could only bow to the decision given by tho Court in the Auckland ■ case, as it had been understood that the Auckland decision was to have application throughout tho Dominion. Mr. 'Iteardon explainod that the Wellington claims had been prepared before tho Auckland 'decision was given. The ■union, of course, ,must also accept what the Court had previously given. WELLINGTON PAINTERS.. ■ Tho Wellington painters arid decorators' award was next considered.

'Mr. Iteardon' said that as he had thought thero might be'some exception taken to the decision of the Court in previous eases,' ho had got some information showing'.that'a" board set up in America by President -Wilson had adopted exactly the same course as the .Court. The board had decided that the workers' wages would have to be adjusted-in conformity with the cost of living, and bad given its high as 71 c^nts,- whieli-was Toughly equivalent to'3s! per hour, to painters. Tho Court; he, thought, in spite of leading articles throughout the Dominion, need have' no anxiety ii- ondeavouring to •■' justify its attitude. It could be easily, justified by the expert ence of other countries, and by-ths wages awarded there. :

Mr. Grenfell suggested ;that the top of tho wave had J)een reached' in tho matter of. the cost of living.

His .Honour (laughingly): I nm very glad : to. hear that. ■■ r Mr. Grenfell- urged that there, were indications' that- the top had been reached. The supply, of bread and wheat ■was assured by a bountiful harvest..-* His Honour said .that-he-saw by the papers that the price of bread was likely to go up.'.. .Mr. Grenfell-said-that there7was talk of- a subsidy from tho Government; to keep down the. cost of wheat ami-enable-the price .of bread, to be kept down. ~.: His Honour:- The .'general- public seems to bo tho milch- cow.- The subsidy i of comes out of the general public. : Mr. Grenfell •submitted that the-, local prices of cheese,,. butter,., and meat were practically fixed by tho Imperial, Government's purchases. There was 110 fear of an increaso.in their price. Moreover, it might be assumed, that the price of many other articles would fall. The reduction in freights 'would at once reflect in the cost to tho consumer of many things. ' Ho submitted that the country, would now see a'-diminutidu.- in the cost of living. ■■ His Honour-.. When that : happv: day arrives, and there, is a substantial decrease in the cost of living, wo may bs confronted with' the odious 'task, of reducing wages. • Returning to the -case of the painters', Mr.. Grenfell called attention ho the fact that'-'many workers in the-trade were not fully skilled'. ' ' '■•■■■ Mr. Scott: But the employers of Wellington have not recognised, that in. the past. They have put them all on tho same footing. ."■'.'■'■' ' '-'■'•■ Mr. Grenfell asked the Court-not to raiso the total Wage to Is. Kid. in this case. To be consistent, the Court would have to award "less in this case lhan in tho case of the oilier skilled trades. . His Honour: I suppose that in all skilled' trades-there.are degrees. '. Mr. Eeardou/ submitted "that, a sound apprenticeship would.'-, overcome the difficulty arising from the number of tho partially skilled' men'. It was; possible to make in regard (0 any trade tho point that Mr. Grenfell had made. It would bo quite unfair for the Court, to create a 'distinction where a distinction had not previously' existed,.. Decision was reserved. . . BUILDERS AND GENERAL • LABOURERS. Speaking in support of the application for amendment of the. Wellington builders and.general labourers' award: ■ Mr. ' Keardon said, that in dealing with tho skilled trades the. Court had concerned itself entirely with the cost, of living, and he submitted that in this case tho increase granted should be relatively as great as in.the.other cases. ' ','. Mr. . Grenfell urged that, .the. 'Court, should maintain between skilled and unskilled labourers tho same relative position as in tho past. Tho Court had in its own judgment recognised that the wages of the' unskilled worker had. a material influence upon ..those of the skilled worker. Decision was reserved: ENGINEERS.' The Wellington district engineers' award was last, considered. ' Mr. S. J. Elcston represented tho union.

Mr. Eleslon wished, in order not lo prejudice .the: caso soon to bo heard at Dunedin, to withdraw the AVellington application in tho meantime. 110 submitted that, the Wellington union, in accepting the agreement it had recently nccoptedjihad made a mistake. Upon the suggestion of His Honour, Mr. Eleston acquiesced in the making of an amendment, in tho 'Wellington award embodying the terms of the agreement, it being understood that this would not bo permitted to prejudico the local union in making a further application to 'the Court later on if it thought fit. . The Court adjourned. ■ ■